


Lies

by Nickwritesfluff



Series: McPriceley soulmate AUs [2]
Category: The Book of Mormon - Parker/Stone/Lopez
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Crushes, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 20:49:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16709794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nickwritesfluff/pseuds/Nickwritesfluff
Summary: Soulmate AU - When you're 19, the first lie your soulmate will tell/told you will appear on your skin.Usual McPriceley stuff.Enjoy.





	Lies

Kevin Price was sixteen years old when his parents sat down with him to talk about soulmates. He'd heard the word before many times, but he never knew much about them.

He could still hear his mother's voice:

"Kevin, honey, when you're nineteen, you'll get something that's similar to a tattoo."

"Aren't tattoos bad?" he asked confused, but his mom just laughed.

"It won't be a real tattoo. It'll be a special sentence that'll help you find your soulmate." his dad explained, scratching his wrist.

"What sentence?" the second youngest Price grimaced, looking more and more confused.

"Well, it's the first lie your soulmate will say to you." his mother said, holding her husband's hand.

"But- but Mormons don't lie!" sixteen-year-old Kevin cried, looking at his mom like she just told him killing people was okay.

"What your mom is trying to say," started his father "is that the first thing your soulmate says to you that's not true will appear on your skin."

"That's the same thing as lying." Kevin grimaced.

"You'll see it's not." his mother said, smiling at her husband. Kevin couldn't wait to see it.

Kevin Price was almost nineteen when his parents gave him something that looked like a bracelet.

"You will get your mark when you're on your mission, son." his dad explained, putting the bracelet on Kevin's right arm. "We don't want you to start searching for your soulmate while you're trying to work for the Church. This will cover it."

And when Kevin Price was almost nineteen, he accepted this.

So he never took off his bracelet. He didn't take it off when he was sent to Uganda. Or when he had to sit on a plane for Heavenly Father knows how many hours with Elder Cunningham. He was just listening to the shorter boy's enthusiastic yelling about Star Trek.

He didn't take it down when the General took his luggage. Or when the Ugandans started saying "f-you" to Heavenly Father, or when they made Kevin and Elder Cunningham say it as well. And he definitely didn't take it off when he first stepped into the mission hut and saw Elder McKinley.

Mostly because he froze.

Elder McKinley was... really something. His hair was red, and it looked soft and shiny and perfect. His face was pale and covered in freckles. But it was his eyes that caught Kevin's attention. They were incredibly blue and huge. And pretty.

It was normal he thought that, right? Right.

So no, Kevin didn't take off his bracelet. Not when he was introduced to the other elders, or when he heard that they had zero baptisms.

"Are you okay, Elder Price?" he felt a hand on his shoulder. He was never a touchy person, so he shook it off, and shrugged.

"I'm fine, just a little... confused." he explained to his mission companion.

"Oh, _confused._ " Elder McKinley stepped in, smiling at the Elders. "Well, that's completely normal! There are definitely a lot of things here that can make you... _confused._ "

Elder Price smiled awkwardly, watching the redhead. He wasn't really listening to him at first, but then one sentence just grabbed his attention.

"It's super easy not to feel that way." Elder McKinley explained, and Kevin couldn't help but notice how soft his voice was. It wasn't quiet, it was actually pretty loud, and yet, it felt like the District Leader was whispering in his ear.

Then the other Elders told him their stories. Elder Church had an abusive father. Elder Poptarts wasn't there when his sister died. And Elder McKinley...

There was no way that the seemingly perfect District Leader was gay. He turned off his feelings, just like the others. _Turn_ _it_ _off._ He knew that it wasn't a good idea, but these boys were all doing it, and they seemed happy.

Kevin wasn't exactly sure how long he'd been staring at nothing, but when he looked up again, the Elders all had sparkling pink vests on. He didn't know where they came from (or why), but Elder McKinley looked good in a pink vest. It perfectly showed off his impossibly slim waist, and it somehow made his freckles even more noticeable, and- _turn it off, Price_.

"Now how do you feel?" he flinched a little when he heard Elder McKinley's voice just a bit too close.

"The same." he answered, lowering his head.

"Then you've only got yourself to blame." the District Leader stepped away from him. "You didn't pretend hard enough."

He looked like he was thinking really hard for a few seconds, then he snapped.

"Imagine you're brain is made of tiny boxes, then find the box that's gay, and **crush** **it**! Okay?" he smiled at Kevin like he didn't just yell at him.

"Oh, no, I'm not having gay thoughts." he said quickly, shaking his head.

"All right, it worked!" Elder Cunningham screeched, making them both flinch. The Elders were all congratulating him for turning it off, even though he didn't have anything to turn off. Then Elder McKinley lead them to their room - while holding Kevin's hand. He was pretty sure this was normal, the Elders were probably very close to each other, so he just went with it. And he tried not to notice how nice Elder McKinley's hand felt in his, and how disappointed he was when their hands parted in front of the room.

And Kevin Price still didn't take off his bracelet. Not when the Ugandans laughed at his speech about Joseph Smith. Not when he had an African man's blood on his face. Not when he left the other Elders. Not when he had a Spooky Mormon Hell Dream. And not when the Elders left him as soon as Elder Cunningham appeared saying he baptised Nabulungi, the daughter of Mafala Hatimbi. And he still didn't take it off when he went to the General's camp all alone. He didn't take it off when he had the Book of Mormon in his... Well... There.

He didn't take it off, not because he wanted to be a good Mormon or because he wanted his parents to be proud of him. No, he was over these thoughts. The reason he still didn't take it off was pretty simple. He was scared.  
He had never felt so confused in his entire life. He always thought he'd meet his soulmate: a nice Mormon girl, get married to her and have kids together. Maybe in Orlando. But maybe... Maybe there was a chance his soulmate wasn't a 'she'?  
But the real question was why was he hoping it was a 'he'? Specifically- _No_ , he couldn't even think about that. Turn it off. It will all be better soon. Probably. Hopefully.

The first time _really_ wanted to took off the bracelet was when he saw Elder McKinley in a suit with his pink suitcase. He was going to leave.

Kevin quickly grabbed the District Leader's arm, making him and the other Elders stop.

"We are still Latter-Day Saints. All of us." he said, looking deeply into Elder McKinley's eyes. "Even if we change some things. Or- or we break the rules. Or we have complete doubt that God exists." he smiled, and looked around. Elder Cunningham- no. Arnold was looking at him with tears in his eyes.

"You- you wanna stay here with me?" he asked like he couldn't believe it.

"I'd do anything for you." Kevin grinned. "You're my best friend."

He was ready for the hug he got from his friend. What he wasn't ready for was McKinley's hand on his shoulder, and the others smiling faces.

"Tomorrow is a latter day." Arnold laughed, still hugging his best friend, so his voice was muffled by Kevin's shirt.

"Tomorrow is a latter day." McKinley muttered, taking his hand off of Kevin.

"Tomorrow is a latter day!" Kevin yelled, throwing his hands to the sky, and everyone followed his lead. In this moment Elder McKinley's eyes were shining, he was grinning, and he looked happy altogether.

"We're staying!" Elder Neeley said, hugging some Ugandan kids.

"And we're done with the church?" Poptarts asked hopefully. "We don't have to turn it off anymore?"

"Let all the feelings out." McKinley looked at him with a soft smile that made Kevin happy and jealous at the same time.

"What now?" Michaels asked, looking at Arnold.

"I have some ideas." he smiled, looking at Nabulungi. "I'll need your  typewriter."

 

A few weeks later they all had a schedule they all followed. Arnold started writing the Book of Arnold, Kevin and McKinley helped him look for typos, Neeley, Davis and Michaels were helping the kids in the "school", and finally Poptarts and Church patched up the Ugandans' houses.

They started to abandon some of the rules, for example Kevin started every day with a cup of coffee, and sometimes they drank some alcohol as well - not too much, just enough to feel better. Especially when they first got letters from home after the "Mission President Incident" as they called it.

Church's parents didn't even write anything. The lack of the letter alone almost made him cry. It was like he didn't even have parents anymore.

Not everyone's story was that tragic though. Poptarts' parents weren't really accepting, but his aunt sent him poptarts and a letter that said he and his friends can stay at her place is they can't go anywhere else, which was nice.

Kevin smiled as he read the letter his mom wrote to him. She was still the best, and said she'd accept him no matter what they did in Uganda. She didn't write anything about Kevin's father, but he kind of expected it that way. It was more than enough that his mother wasn't going to throw him out.

After a few minutes he realised he didn't see McKinley anywhere. He looked around confused, but no, he wasn't there. Poptarts was hugging a shaking Church, Arnold was trying to tell Nabu that it was okay that his parents threw him out, because he didn't really want to go home. Michaels snatched the bottle of some alcohol from Davis, and took a long sip. Kevin quietly stood up, and headed outside, hoping that McKinley was there somewhere. He was lucky, the District Leader was sitting next to a tree a few steps away from the mission hut.

"Hey." he sat down next to the redhead, who was sniffling. "Bad news?"

"Kind of."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kevin tried, taking the other boy's hand.

"I... I know who my soulmate is." he said. His voice was barely a whisper. Kevin could feel his eyes widen.

"Is that a bad thing? Is she from-"

"He." McKinley said, not looking at Kevin.

"What?" he blinked once, then twice. He couldn't hear that right.

"My soulmate. It's a... It's a boy."

Okay, he may have heard it right.

"I took off this stupid bracelet. When I thought it was all over, with the mission president and everything." McKinley explained. "And then I saw that line, and I- I panicked, okay? I didn't know what to do, or- or what to say, my parents were the ones who told me being- liking boys is bad, and now my soulmate is..."

Kevin watched the other boy break down into sobs, trying to cover his face with his free hand. Kev took his other hand as well, forcing McKinley to look at him.

"Look, it's going to be okay. I promise." he smiled, pulling the shorter man into a hug. "McKinley?"

"Connor." the redhead muttered into his shirt. "My name I mean. It's Connor."

"Okay, Connor." Kevin smiled, trying really hard not to smile. _Connor._ It kinda suited him. "Do I know your soulmate?"

Connor' full body tightened, and after a few seconds that felt like hours, he gently nodded into Kevin's chest.

"Do you want to tell me who it is?"

McKinley shook his head quickly, hugging Kevin even tighter.

"You don't believe it'll be okay, do you?" Price laughed softly, rubbing circles onto Connor's back, who slowly shook his head.

"He's not even gay." he explained, and that made Kevin laugh.

"If he's your soulmate, I'm pretty sure he likes guys at least a little." he closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "I mean everyone likes you. You're Connor Freaking McKinley! You look great in a pink vest, and you tap dance like a pro. You're like the jackpot of soulmates."

That finally made Connor laugh and pull away from Kevin. He still had tears in his eyes, but he looked a bit happier than before.

"Do you know who your soulmate is?" he asked, resting his head on Kevin's shoulder.

"Not yet."

"Why?" Connor asked, confused. "You're the number one rulebreaker."

"I guess I'm... scared." he confessed. "What if it's someone I don't know, or don't like?"

 _What_ _if_ _it's_ _not_ _you?_

"It might be someone you don't like." Connor shrugged. "I guess I'm lucky I actually like mine."

"And I'm sure he likes you too." Kevin smiled, placing his hand on Connor's shoulder, pulling him into a weird side-hug, that was quickly over when - based on the sounds - something in the mission hut broke.

"We should probably head back inside." Connor stood up, and Kevin followed his lead.

He couldn't get his talk with Connor out of his head. He wanted, no, _needed_ to know if his soulmate was McKinley, or not. He quietly sneaked out of the small bedroom he still shared with Arnold. It was way too dark to see anything, but he knew the moon always lit up the common room, so he headed there.  
He sat down to the couch, and took a deep breath. Then another. He grabbed his bracelet, and pulled it off in one quick motion.

He stared at his wrist for a few seconds before recognizing the words.

 _"_ _It's_ _super_ _easy_ _not_ _to_ _feel_ _that_ _way."_

It was Connor. He told Kevin this on the day they first met.

Then he let the thought sink in. It was _Connor_ _Fucking McKinley._ Connor was his soulmate. Connor, with his perfect hair, and perfect skin and perfect eyes. Connor, who looks awesome in a pink vest, and tap dances like a pro.

"Kevin?" he heard a soft voice from his right. It was Connor. His soulmate. He was looking at Kevin's wrist, and he looked scared.

"It's you." Kevin whispered, not wanting to wake up the others. Connor nodded, still just standing there. Kevin stood up, and hugged him like his life depended on it. "It's really you."

They were hugging for who knows how long. Kevin was almost positive they were both crying, but he couldn't care less. He pulled away just enough to look at Connor.

"Can I-" he started, leaning in slightly.

"Kevin Price, if you don't kiss me right now, I'll murder you." McKinley laughed softly, looking at Kevin with those beautiful eyes, and it was almost too much.

Almost.

The moment their lips touched was like a big finale. Like his whole life was leading up to this one moment. He pulled Connor even closer, and _oh_ _God_ , the redhead _moaned_. Kevin immediately pulled away, making Connor blush.

"Sorry, I don't-"

"That was hot as Hell." Kevin smiled, continuing the kiss.

When the morning came, the other Elders found them on the couch. They were both sleeping, Connor on top of Kevin, and Kevin's left arm was protectively curled around his soulmate. Connor's right hand was almost on the floor, and this pose made his mark visible:

 _"_ _Oh_ _no,_ _I'm_ _not_ _having_ _gay_ _thoughts."_


End file.
